Find that place you love to go... and go there often!

It was almost 20 years ago when I stumbled across the gorgeous Byron Bay. I travelled there with girlfriends, single, on a road trip, ready to party, holiday, hang and meet boys. We got all of the above! What we didn't account for was that elusive Byron Bay vibe. That healing ‘thing’ that is Byron. That 'thing' that draws so many of us in, puts a smile on our face, peace in our heart and helps us chill out about life and the big AND small things in between.

Feel Good Holiday Destination

Over the years that passed, I have continued to be drawn to Byron Bay. Every single time I visit, that same old Byron vibe sweeps over me, no matter what my agenda at the outset. I just feel SO good when I'm there and when I get home.

It had been a few years between visits but after having children, it was as if Byron was calling me. Reminding me I hadn't been there in a while. That I needed to rejuvenate there as much as my family did. I had forgotten how great that place made me feel.

It was the year my daughter turned one and I gave birth to my son that I felt this overwhelming urge to spend the summer there, and we did. That same old Byron vibe was upon me. The whole family felt it.

Healing Holiday

Yet even though I know it’s there, I often forget how great Byron Bay will make me feel. So after a ridiculously stressful December 2009, I was drawn yet again, reminded to visit Byron Bay.

My beautiful family has just spent yet another gorgeous summer holiday in Byron healing, cleansing, regrouping and letting go of the past year’s stress ready and refreshed for the year ahead.

Take A Holiday Break

In short, if you're stressed... take a break. Better still, take a holiday. Find a place that is your Holiday Haven. Whether it is the same destination each year or a new spot that gives you that feel good oozy feeling each time.

My husband heard on the radio today that top German magazine Brigitte had decided enough was enough. They are going to start using real people in their magazine rather than photoshoping stick thin models to look as if they have more weight (or any weight for that matter). Bravo!

But it did get me thinking, these models are breathing but are they really living!

How often do you find yourself breathing yet not really living? By breathing I mean, clocking in, clocking out, going through the motions, putting things off that you'd really love to be doing. And by living, I mean, living your dream life NOW! Sure, some of the bigger dreams might need working towards but there really is a way to live your dream life now and not just breath or exist through life.

It's simple food for thought - make sure you live your life just as you'd love today and every day that follows, because we really never do know when that final breath will be!

Alison Nancye :)

Being present is one of the best gifts you can give yourself and everyone around you.

So what does it actually mean to be present? Well the best example I can give is when you read a book. You know when you are totally engrossed in the book - you are present - present to the words, present to the page, present to the story. Being totally and utterly at one with your book.

But if you find that when you get to the end of the page or flick over and think to yourself, what did I just read? ... that is most definitely NOT being present. Or perhaps when you speed read or skim the text - in a hurry to get to the end so you can move on to your next task at hand - no that is NOT being present either.

Do you sometimes live your life like that? In speed read mode or perhaps getting to the end of your page, your day, your week and wondering - what did I actually do, say or FEEL this week?

Look don't give yourself a hard time - we all do it, I'm more interested in how I can be more present and enjoy more of my life than dwelling on the fact that there are times when I'm not present.

Clean House Clean Mind

For me to be present, what is really helpful is a CLEAN HOUSE = a CLEAN MIND.

Honestly when the house is tidy and organised I just feel so much better and am a lot more present and clear with myself, my kids, husband and guests.

If I don't have time to do it all (sometimes the case with a 3 & 4 year old in tow), I choose an area that's 'my space' - it's you guessed it - my kitchen! We have this high bench cafe style white dining table and chairs with clean lines that looks out to trees and the ocean. If that table (and everything underneath it) is clean and my kitchen is clean I FEEEEEEL sooooooooo good and present and able to be with anyone that walks in to my life. It's interesting too, when this space is clean, my guests feel it when they walk down the hallway to the 'my space' area.

Find 'Your Way' To Be Present

How could you be more present to enjoy more of your life?

Is it turning your email or mobile off at designated times of the day, taking a shower at the end of your day before dinner with the family to let go of your day and arrive at home and in a new space?

Find 'your space' or 'your way' to be MORE PRESENT and honestly, you really will enjoy your life a whole lot more and so will those around you.

Alison Nancye :)

It's a well known saying but how often do you use it to guide you in the choices you make about your food and lifestyle diet?

Do you know that everything you digest mentally, physically and emotionally, creates who you are, how you behave and the way you live your life every day?

Toxic Thoughts

Every single negative word you take on board from others and you project out there to the world is toxic. It makes you feel bad and when we feel bad, things tend to not go as well as we'd like.

You can change these toxic thoughts any time, any how. For example, next time someone says something that hurts your feelings or makes you feel bad, just imagine the words are passing through you, going in and then going straight back out to the ether. Just let the words leave your body as if they are flowing out no sooner than they flowed in. Imagine a clear flow of energy that then follows these words. Give the energy some colour filled light if this helps. Try it, it's a simple yet powerful exercise.

And next time you think bad thoughts towards others or want to say something negative to someone (or yourself) STOP!. Take a moment to BREATH,  REGROUP and REPHRASE. Take a few moments to rethink of how you can still express yourself to that person but from your heart. It's hard to be toxic to someone else (or yourself for that matter) when you are in your heart. Your message will still be heard, infact probably more so.

Healthy Habits

The last couple of months of the year are the perfect time to think about how you want the rest of your year to be.

What positive changes can you make right now that will greatly benefit you until the end of the year and also the year ahead?

Don't wait for New Year's Resolutions to create new healthy food and lifestyle choices, start NOW.

Then when it comes to your Christmas holiday break, you will be so healthy and hearty, that you will be totally present to digest all that life has to offer, rather than spending your holidays trying to recharge the batteries, only to hit the ground running again next year.

Remember readers, you ARE what you eat, food and all!

Alison Nancye :)

Over the past month, I have witnessed a lot of tension in my community. Lots of misunderstandings, miscommunication and people breaking down and crying uncontrollably and shouting it out loud matches. And if that's what you want so be it, but somehow I think at the core of it all, if we chose to speak up more, we would shout out a lot less.

Don't Bottle Up Your Emotions

When you bottle up your thoughts and feelings, it gets to you after a while. This can turn up later in health issues, poor sleep, poor performance, arguments, tension and conflict with people and in life where you don't want it.

I have been a big offender of not speaking up throughout my life (I'm getting better though). So often, I have been afraid to speak up when I really wanted to and left it all a bit too late. When I finally did speak up, it usually came out shouting or pouting or not very elegantly or coherently. Just a whole lot of BLA and RA.

People have misunderstandings with themselves and others all the time, and I think one of the main reasons for this is because we fail to speak up and say what we truly want to say.

3 Tips To Getting Your Message Across

My writing mentor Jan Cornall said the Buddhist have three criteria when it comes to speaking up. They ask is it 1) Kind, 2) Useful and 3) True? And now I use that as my criteria when I know I want to speak up but my old fears from the past prevent me from naturally and eloquently letting the words flow out.

So I ask myself those three questions and also put me own spin on it. I use it as a criteria for the 'way' I want to speak up - I try to be more kind in the way I speak up, I speak my truth - share from my heart and be authentic, and I also speak up in a way that's useful for both me and the the listener in mind. And in practising this (still learning and growing all the time), I seem to have a lot less arguments and misunderstandings as a result.

When you practise speaking up more and sharing your thoughts and feelings with others in those moments when you have them, you will have less tension and arguments, less conflict and less miscommunication.

So try those three tips next time you have something to say.

Alison Nancye :)

I've just spent two weeks in gorgeous Byron Bay with my family and I had such a wonderful time. Apart from the fact that Byron Bay is truly one of the most gorgeous places in the world to visit, I believe that holidays help us put life in to perspective.

I always find whenever we come back from a holiday, my hubby and I are more more chilled, my family is a much tighter unit, and my young children have taken another big step in their development and learning. So why is this?

Enjoy The Simple Pleasures Of Life

Apart from the obvious... less phone calls, less computer time, less schedules, less commitments, etc; on holidays we seem to give ourselves more time to eat, sleep, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. And whilst we think we don't have the time to sleep more, eat well and enjoy more of the simple pleasures of life when we are back in the ever demanding world of our everyday lives, we actually do. Everything is about choice. You create your schedule, whether you are living your everyday life or on holiday from your everyday life. You have control over your time, your energy, your health, and wellbeing.

Holidays are genuinely able to offer us so many new ways to live a simpler, happier, healthier and more rewarding life. It would be so wonderful to say you can 'holiday' every day as well as only sometimes throughout the year.

What Gift Will You Take Away From Your Holiday?

Of course we all have different commitments but if you could say you were going to take one thing away from your holiday and bring it back with you (as a gift if you like) to use and share with yourself in your everyday life, what would it be? What is one positive thing you could apply to your life after having a holiday?

For me, as a result of this holiday and the journey leading up to it, the one present I have brought back for me and my family is 'more free time'. We are now enjoying less commitments, less scheduled activities and more time to eat, sleep, play and hang out, and we are all the better for it.

Alison Nancye :)

I love starting my day with a walk down to my local beach. I feel so incredibly alive and fresh for the day when I do this. I also love my regular ritual of stopping for a few minutes to watch the surfers doing their thing. Imagine if we committed to our lives the way a surfer commits to their wave!

Enjoy The Journey Of Life

Surfers totally commit to creating the ride of their life AND enjoying the journey along the way. A surfer can sit on their board for ages waiting for that one perfect wave. Sometimes they get it, sometimes they don’t, but it doesn’t stop them getting back on their board each day, week or month (depending how often they surf) and giving it another go.

Don't Give Up

In life, sometimes we give up on ourselves and our passions way too soon, before we have really given our passions, interests and dreams a go.

Let's face it, surfing is not an easy passion to pursue. It's physically, mentally and emotionally challenging. You have to be totally present and prepared to keep learning and trying new techniques and ways to have the ride of your life.

Focus On What You Want

But instead of focussing on failing or in the case of a surfer, being dumped by a wave or falling off their board, they focus on their passion for their craft, their love of the ocean and being in with the rhythm of the water and the rhythm of the wave. It's all about giving it a go and enjoying the journey along the way.

And when they catch that perfect wave, you can bet your life they celebrate it. They celebrate right there and then, feeling totally and utterly exhilarated, standing for as long as they can, twisting and turning. It really is an incredible thing to witness.

Sometimes we let things go because it doesn't come easily or we don't get it straight away. But I really believe if you are passionate about something, whether it's a holiday or a hobby, your dream job, ideal life or something else, keep pursuing your passions and enjoying the journey and learnings along the way.

And next time you are down at the beach, STOP! Just totally stop for a few minutes and watch the surfers. Watch them be totally and utterly present to the ocean, the wave and the ride of their life. And that will teach you everything you need to know about giving your life the passion, attention and commitment it deserves.

Alison Nancye :)

In order to follow your bliss and really live your dream life, this 9-Step Formula is simple:

1) Follow your intuition

2) Listen to your heart

3) Engage your courage and face your fears

4) Use your will to act on your dreams and goals

5) Do the things that make you happy and fill your life with joy.

6) Spend time with people that make you feel good.

7) Nurture your mind, body & spirit.

8) Love your life, for it's all yours right here, right now.

9) Celebratate your milestones.

I think this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt sums up my message for this article, "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."

Big Learnings Happen When You Face Your Fears

I was having an awesome month, gorgeous mini breaks with my husband, children and friends each weekend and soaking up all the nature spots around town, loving my life and every one in it. Then SMACK BANG in my face, comes an old wound from the past to bite me so hard it hurt BIG TIME.

So when the incident came up YET AGAIN, I thought surely, surely, surely, I do not have to keep learning this lesson. But after receiving gorgeous support from my hubby, loads of love from my kids, incredible insights from my intuition, and spot on advice from my colleagues and community, I got three key lessons from it all:

3 Key Life Lessons

1) If you're in pain, having a hard time, life isn't going so well... call a friend (or few) to help get you through.

2) If your instincts tell you to do something.... TRUST, HAVE FAITH AND FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION, for you will keep receiving the SMACK BANG lessons over and over till you do.

3) Sometimes old wounds come back again to remind us just how far we've actually come in our healing.

Whatever fears you may have in life, go ahead and face them. Follow your heart and instincts, for they will always lead you to a happy, healthier, more enjoyable life.

Alison Nancye :)

I genuinely love Mondays. Because I live my 'Dream Week' virtually every week, I really feel fulfilled from the weekend's events and totally looking forward to the week ahead.

Because each day of my week represents a different focus, I can enjoy a variety of highlights and milestones at home, work, in family life, with my relationships and my self.

Get Organised on Sunday to Start Fresh on Monday

The one key ingredient to kick starting my week each Monday is without a doubt, getting organised on Sunday. I don't spend a huge part of Sunday working or preparing for the week ahead. But I do things like, make sure the house is clean and organised, the kids' Kindy bags are packed, the washing is done and an outfit selected for Monday morning.

Then when it comes to Monday morning, I can jump out of bed and into my week. I leap in to a brand new week ahead, rather than cleaning up unfinished activities from the week just passed.

Because I mostly work from home, I can get sucked in to starting Monday a bit sluggish, leaving things for tomorrow or the next day. But whenever I wake up to a messy house or a messy mind, I find it hard to get motivated. So taking a little time on Sunday to make the most of Monday, makes all the difference to how my life runs for the week ahead.

Have You Time Each Day

I also get out of bed before the rest of my family. Just 1/2 hour or so, to sit, breath, meditate, visualise, be quiet and ponder the day ahead. Then by the time my three and four year old onslaught of toddler love and loudness is thrust upon me, I am calm and centred for whatever lies ahead.

Getting up before my family and taking time out on Sunday to prepare for the week ahead are just a couple of ways I feel calm, clear and ready for any week ahead. Create your own ways and time schedule that works best for you to make the most of your week each week. Whatever you decide, make sure you are ready and equipped with a fresh outlook come Monday morning and you'll be sure to create an enticing day and week ahead.

Alison Nancye :)